Optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications, including but not limited to broadband voice, video, and data transmission. As consumer devices are steadily using more bandwidth, connectors for these devices will likely move away from strictly electrical connections and toward using optical connections for increased bandwidth. Generally speaking, conventional fiber optic interface devices used for telecommunication networks and the like are not suitable for consumer electronic devices.
For instance, conventional fiber optic interface devices are relatively large compared with the consumer electronic devices and their interfaces. Additionally, conventional fiber optic interface devices are deployed with great care into relatively clean environments and/or cleaned by the craft before connecting to the device interface. Further, even though fiber optic interface devices are reconfigurable (i.e., suitable for mating/unmating), they are not intended for a relatively large number of mating cycles. Instead, conventional fiber optic interface devices are high-precision devices designed for reducing insertion loss between mating devices in the optical network.
On the other hand, the consumer electronic devices are expected to have a relatively large number of mating/unmating cycles during ordinary operation. The consumer electronic devices will be operated in a multitude of environments where contaminants such as dirt, dust, and other debris are encountered on a regular basis. Further, consumer electronic devices typically have size and space constraints for making connections. Consequently, there is an unresolved need for fiber optic interface devices suitable for consumer electronic devices.